Method of manufacturing a spirally wound heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger of the type having two cylindrical chambers wound in self-enclosing spirals, including enveloping the chambers by an outer jacket, encompassing the chambers and jacket with binding strips, encasing the thus formed assembly by a hoop, positioning a lower joint about the jacket, and pouring a moldable packing substance in the annular space between the jacket and inner wall of the hoop.

United States Patent [191 Field of Search 165/ 166 29/ 157.3 R, 460

[111 3,823,458 Jouet et al. [451 July 16, 1974 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A [56] References Cited SPIRALLY WOUND HEAT'EXCHANGER UNITED STATES PATENTS [76] Inventors: Etienne Jouet, 19 Rue du Panorama, 2,136,086 11/1938 95 Montigny-Les-Cormeilles; Pascal 2,142,679 1/1939 Rebuffe, 18 Rue des Sevres, 2,245,102 1941 Boulonge-Billancourt, both of 35181376 5/1967 France 3,543,844 12/1970 Filed! J y 1973 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham 21 A L N J 3 2 1 3 Assistant Examiner-D. C. Reiley, III 1 pp US A n D a Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz &

e ppcaonn Nissenv [60] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 290,518, Sept. 20,

gfibgvghiihtisl: dgvi lsgosngigSer. No. 888,591, Dec. [57 g ABSTRACT l A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger of the [30] Foreign Application Priority Data type having twocylindrical chambers wound in self- D a 27 1968 F V 12 enclosing spirals, including enveloping the chambers J 1969 France 6818 15 by an outer jacket, encompassing the chambers and r Franchm 23 jacket with'binding strips, encasitngthe thus formed y 1 i 092 assembly by a hoop, positioning a lower joint about the jacket, and pouring a moldable packing substance [52] US. Cl. 29/157.3,R, 29/460 in the annular space between the acket and inner wall Int. Cl B21d 53/02, 823p 15/26 ofthe hoop. I

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDJUHBIHH 3.823.458

sazstuora FIG 7 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SPIRALLY H WOUND HEAT EXCHANGER This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 290,518, filed Sept. 20, 1972 which is a division of Ser. No. 888,591, now US. Pat. No. 3,705,618.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ing this type of heat exchangers is in obtaining a strong and rigid structure which is capable of resisting the pressure of the fluids flowing through the exchanger chambers. This type of structure is provided byusing a central tube serving as a' core or heart of the heat exchanger, with the tube being encompassed by spiralled chambers and the entire assembly being contained within an external cylindrical hoop, both the central tube and the external hoop forming the framework of the exchanger and being capable of resisting the pressure resulting from the fluid contained in the chambers. These chambers are consequently contained in the annular space between the central tube and the external P- It is possible, when manufacturing heat exchangers of this type, to adjust the chambers to the central tube since the metal foils forming the walls of the chambers are wound about the central tube. However, to the contrary, it is extremely difficult to properly adjust the spiralled chambers, after they have been formed by winding the foils forming their 'walls and more particularly if they are corrigated or goffered foils, to the size of the external hoop. A first problem encountered is that the body formed by the piralled chambers is generally irregular and does not conform in shape to a cylinder. Another problem. lies in that the outer peripheral wall of the most external spiralled chamber must contact the innersurface'of the hoop and rest thereon so as to allow the hoop to resist the pressure inside the cham her. It is however difficult to manufacture the spiralled chambers with the exact size of the hoop, so as to permit the outer wall of the chambers to contact the cylindrical hoop.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of this invention toprovide a method for manufacturing a heat exchanger of the type described and which is of simple construction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference may now be had to the following detailed descriptionof preferred methods of manufacturing the heat exchangers, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly diagrammatic plan view of a heat exchanger manufacturedin accordance with the method of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the central tube used in the manufacturing method of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective elevated view'of the spirally coiled chambers encompassing the tube;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a jacket enveloping the chambers;

FIG. 5 is perspective view of exchanger packing formed by a moldable substance;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the hoop encompassing the heat exchanger; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective elevational view, partly in section, of the heat exchanger manufactured according to the method of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION ing spirally coiled chambers. These chambers are preferably provided with suitably distributed gofferings or bosses which serve as means for separating the foils with respect to one another, the two walls of each chamber thus being maintained atpredetermined distances and with the chambers having constant widths along their spiral paths.

The spirally coiled chambers thus defined by winding the walls 3 and S'around the central tube 1 are then enveloped by an outer jacket 11 which is formed of a metal foil. Surrounding the thus formed chambers and the jacket so as tofirmly hold the latter in place on the spirally coiled chambers in binding engagement therewith, are a plurality of metal strips 12, 12, 12". j

The assembly, which is constituted of the central tube 1 and the spirally coiled chambers enveloped in the jacket 11, is then placed in position within the outer hoop 2. It is not necessary' in the methodaccording to the invention to provide exact adjustment of the spirally coiledchambers within the hoop 2; in fact, it is preferable to cast a rigid moldable substance or packing, for example cement or concrete 13, around the jacket. To this end, a lower annular joint 14 is positioned so as to fill at the base, the space separating the jacket 11 and the inner wall of the hoop 2. Concrete may therebybe cast through the upper end into the space defined and after the concrete has set, a homogeneous assembly is obtained in which the spirally coiled chambers 4 and 4' are firmly held and compressed between the two concentric walls formed by the central tube 1 and the outer hoop 2. Consequently, in addition to the constructional advantage which makes it possible to automatically adjust the spirally coiled chambers to the dimensions of the outer hoop, also an extremely rigid assembly is obtained'inwhich the internal pressures created in each chamber are widely distributed hoop, thus avoiding the need for the chambers to be exactly adjusted to the size and section of the hoop, while allowing the pressure within the chambers to be absorbed by the hoop, the latter of which forms the external framework of the heat exchanger.

While there has been shown what is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious that modifications may be made which come within the scope of the disclosure of the specification.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger providing flow between two fluids, of the type comprising at least two spirally coiled chambers positioned between a central tube and an external hoop by winding two thin metal foils provided with space means around a central tube so as to define spirally coiled chambers, said method comprising the steps of:

enveloping said spirally coiled chambers by an outer jacket; binding said spirally coiled chambers and said outer jacket with peripherally encompassing metal bind- 4 ing strips; positioning said spirally coiled chambers, said jacket and said binding strips within a hoop; positioning a lower annular joint about the said jacket; and pouring a moldable substance into the annular space defined between the jacket and the inner wall of the hoop so as to provide, after the moldable substance has set, a homogeneous assembly between said spirally coiled chamber and said external hoop. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, said moldable substance comprising concrete.

3. A .method as claimed in claim 1, said moldable substance comprising cement.

4. A method according to claim 1 said moldable substance comprising a metal having a low melting point.

stance comprising a thermoplastic material. 

1. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger providing flow between two fluids, of the type comprising at least two spirally coiled chambers positioned between a central tube and an external hoop by winding two thin metal foils provided with space means around a central tube so as to define spirally coiled chambers, said method comprising the steps of: enveloping said spirally coiled chambers by an outer jacket; binding said spirally coiled chambers and said outer jacket with peripherally encompassing metal binding strips; positioning said spirally coiled chambers, said jacket and said binding strips within a hoop; positioning a lower annular joint about the said jacket; and pouring a moldable substance into the annular space defined between the jacket and the inner wall of the hoop so as to provide, after the moldable substance has set, a homogeneous assembly between said spirally coiled chamber and said external hoop.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, said moldable substance comprising concrete.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1, said moldable substance comprising cement.
 4. A method according to claim 1 said moldable substance comprising a metal having a low melting point.
 5. A method according to claim 1 said moldable substance comprising a thermoplastic material. 